There are many reasons why it’s important to take care of your skin. No matter if you’re young, old or in-between, it is vital to keep your skin healthy. As a parent, keeping your family healthy is imperative.

Caring for their skin as well as your own with have many beneficial effects on your family; it can help prevent skin cancer and other diseases as well as fight the signs of aging. In addition, when you take care of your skin, you feel better on the inside and out.

Here are a number of ways to naturally care for your family’s skin.

1. Keep Your Family Hydrated

Get your family into the habit of drinking water and cutting down on soft drinks. 2 litres a day is the recommended adult daily intake. For children aged 1-8, four or five cups of water is what you should aim for. From the ages of 8-18, about nine to eleven cups a day will keep them fully hydrated.

2. Eat A Healthy Diet

The correct diet will improve not only their skin but overall health significantly, making sure they eat a balanced diet with plenty of salads, fruits and vegetables. Try and cut out as many additives and preservatives as you can; this means buying organic, although more expensive, it will be better for their health in the long run.

Raw foods such as carrots, raw vegetable juice, apples and oranges are particularly good for your skin, because they are fresh and are considered live foods and not “dead” foods; they help the skin to look alive, fresh and more youthful.

3.Watch Sun Exposure

Though regular, mild exposure to the sun is good, too much sun can be harmful to our skin. UVA and UVB rays are most damaging between the times of 10am and 2pm. Keeping your family out of the Sun between these times will dramatically decrease their chances of burning and potentially getting skin cancer.

The Sun dries out the skin; this can aggravate current skin conditions like acne or eczema. Wearing a natural sunscreen on a day to day basis is another habit that is crucial to protecting your loved one's skin.

4. Moisturize Your Skin

Natural moisturisers are fantastic. They are made from completely natural products, and you can find many recipes online. They are easy to make at home and are guaranteed to keep the moisture in your skin and block out nasty environmental factors such as dust and pollution. For the older members of your family, moisturisers help prevent wrinkles and fine lines.

5. Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking will be best thing you ever do for yourself and your family. When you smoke, you are putting huge amounts of harmful chemicals into your body. This reflects on the state of your skin. Even if your children don’t smoke, passive smoking has been found to be just as bad. If not for yourself – quit for your family.

6. Use Natural Skin Cleansers

Many teenagers and adults suffer with skin problems or allergies like acne and eczema. Lots of people try harsh products to clear their skin; this can be a big mistake. Consult your dermatologist first, as they will perform skin tests and find the best way to tackle the problem.

It always helps to have a daily skin regime. As a general rule, you should use a natural skin cleanser. It will work with your skin to clear away dead skin cells that can clog your pores, resulting in acne.

7. Care for Baby's Skin

If you have a baby, it is important to avoid preservatives and perfumes because they might irritate your baby’s skin. If your baby has sensitive skin, you may want to talk with your pediatrician about alternative skin products or check out a natural food store for alternatives to their diet. It is important to note that some soaps, shampoos, and nappy rash creams contain skin irritants. So, always check the ingredients before using them.

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I believe natural products and lifestyle changes really can make a massive difference to your family’s health. Even if you incorporate just a few simple changes, I believe you will start to see significant improvement.

Author Bio

Jonny Webber lives in Manchester, where he works as a free lance writer; the main topics he writes about are health, eco living, and cosmetic surgery. See http://www.harleystreet.org.uk/skin.html for more information on skin care and skin disorders.